Upcoming Tech

iPhones, iPads, Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Phone and more are getting updates in the very near future. I want every gadget, but I decided to write down my thoughts to identify the tech I really want.

Between new iDevices and a major Windows release due before the holiday shopping season there’s a lot of new tech on the horizon. Some of it excites me, some I’m curious about and some is “meh”.

iPhone

With a new iPhone all but officially announced it’s been the hot tech news topic. This one is “meh” for me, I’ve no plans to upgrade from my iPhone 4S. It does sound like this will be a major change. The two features I have a use for are:

Wireless networking on the 5 GHz band, The 2.4 GHz band is mighty congested in my apartment complex. The iPhone is the only device I have on 2.4 GHz. It doesn’t affect me much due to the way I use the iPhone, but there are times I turn off wireless to force 3G.

LTE – more speed is always good and a LTE hotspot would be helpful. But I don’t use this feature enough to justify the upgrade. My next phone will have LTE, but it doesn’t have to be the next iPhone

I need to skip an upgrade cycle just to prove I can. I made a mental note to come back and read this once I start hearing about the greatness of the latest iPhone.

iPad

I’ve no interest in a smaller iPad. As for the current size – I also want to skip the next upgrade cycle to prove I can. Based on how I use the current iPad I can’t envision an upgrade that I would need.

Windows 8

Finally, a tech I’m looking forward to. I’ve yet to actually run Windows 8 so my views may change. I’m excited to see Microsoft changing things up. I do plan to upgrade my main Windows 7 PC soon after the official release.

I tend to ignore the most intensive negative reviews since some people just don’t like change. I do expect to hate the new UI on day one. The question is what I’ll think on day 14. I do like what I read about enhancements and new features.

Windows RT

I agree with Paul Thurrott that this is Microsoft’s vision for Windows of the future. I don’t think the future of Windows is ARM only but I do think Microsoft is using this processor to shed the old baggage and showcase what they want Windows to be, I expect it to be severely limited compared to the Intel version, but I want to see Microsoft’s vision. Desktop apps are to Windows 8 what the Program Manager was to Windows 95. Microsoft kept the program manager UI in Windows 95, but deprecated and hide it until it eventually vanished. Microsoft couldn’t hide the desktop in Windows 8 all at once so used RT to get there on one platform. I think Microsoft wants the same for the current desktop apps, they want them to eventually go away.

I plan to get a Microsoft Surface RT tablet to get a flavor of that vision. I won’t go for an OEM RT tablet so I get the unadulterated Microsoft experience, for better or worse. Of course, there’s still no price and I don’t believe the $200 rumor. So my final decision depends on the price. Right now I’d say $500 (including the keyboard cost) is a definitie buy and pre-order. A higher may cause a delay and I may change my mind and look for a lower cost OEM model.

Windows Phone 8

I’m interested in seeing what a Windows Phone 8 looks like. I like the idea of it being different. While not a valid criticism, I do see the iPhone as being a little old and stoggy.

Getting a Windows Phone isn’t a done deal. But I am curious enough that an iPhone upgrade isn’t automatic.

Windows Home Server

My WHS 2011 box isn’t going anywhere soon. I don’t have any plans to replace it with one of Microsoft’s new server products. I’m so sure of this that I let my Technet subscription expire so I no longer have the server software to test unless MS makes eval versions publicly available.

If I jump into the deep end of the Microsoft ecosystem with both a Windows phone and tablet to go with Windows 8 there may be some benefit to using a Windows server for central storage. But I’m a Synology NAS fan and would go with it over a Windows Server. And like I said, WHS 2011 isn’t going away anytime soon. If I really want a Window “Server” I may just use Windows 8 as a server.

Wrapping Up

So, will I have the willpower to avoid a iPhone upgrade? That will be the first test. Based on past history I’d call the odds even on this since I have weak gadget resistance. So I’ll have to come back and read this to remind myself there’s no reason to upgrade. I’m not eligible for an upgrade until December anyway. Plus I may be forced into some contract changes making it easier to stand with what I have. Windows 8 Phones should be available by then. Will I switch teams?

While the Surface RT pricing isn’t announced I’ve no doubt that I’ll be getting one. I won’t wait in line at the local Microsoft Store (yup, there is one, although I’ve never been) but I expect a pre-order or acquisition soon after it’s released. About 90% of this is curiosity and wanting to see first hand how RT evolves over time. And if it’s crash and burns, I’ll want to know if it’s justified or not.